The first recorded Christmas celebration was in Rome on December 25, AD 336.
The celebrations of Christmas in the Philippines have deep influences of Catholicism, tracing their roots back to Spanish colonial rule from 1521 to 1898. Currently, the Philippines holds the longest running festivity of the Christmas season in the world, which begins on September 1.
The celebration of Christmas started in Rome about 336, but it did not become a major Christian festival until the 9th century.
Christmas Day is a public holiday on January 7 in countries such as Belarus, Egypt, Ethiopia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Russia, and Ukraine. Some countries, such as Armenia, observe Christmas Day on January 6.
The nations that celebrate on December 24 are mostly Christian, and a Christian liturgical day always begins and finishes at sunset. As a result, Jesus is said to have been born at 5 p.m. on December 24, and his birthday finishes at the same time on December 25.
These countries include Belarus, Egypt, Georgia, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan and Serbia. In several parts of Russia as well, Christmas is celebrated on January 7. In Italy, Christmas is celebrated on January 6 as Epiphany, the feast day.
By the fourth century, however, we find references to two dates that were widely recognized — and now also celebrated — as Jesus' birthday: December 25 in the western Roman Empire and January 6 in the East (especially in Egypt and Asia Minor).
Those differences begin with the Christmas calendar. Rather than the 12 days of Christmas celebrated elsewhere, Icelandic Christmas has 13 days. And traditionally, that's because of the Yule Lads.
Christmas in Russia (Russian: Рождество Христово, Rozhdestvo Khristovo), called Е́же по пло́ти Рождество Господа Бога и Спа́са нашего Иисуса Христа Yezhe po ploti Rozhdestvo Gospoda Boga i Spasa nashego Yisusa Khrista) in the Russian Orthodox Church, is a holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ.
In Russia, Christmas is a family holiday. Traditionally, most Russians celebrate it with their relatives and loved ones. During this time of love and forgiveness, people may present their Christmas gifts to each other to show their affinity or just to make others a little bit happier.
History. The first Christmas celebrations in Australia have their roots in late 1788 and were introduced by convicts of the First Fleet, who arrived in Sydney Harbour early the same year.
The date of birth of Jesus is not stated in the gospels or in any historical sources, but most biblical scholars generally accept a date of birth between 6 BC and 4 BC, the year in which King Herod died.
In fact, when Civil War cartoonist Thomas Nast drew Santa Claus for Harper's Weekly in 1862, Santa was a small elflike figure who supported the Union. Nast continued to draw Santa for 30 years, changing the color of his coat from tan to the red he's known for today.
While it's common to celebrate Christmas Eve in Europe, in Australia, it's more accepted to gather on Christmas Day (25 December). Some members of the community might attend church on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day – if you'd like to do this, there's bound to be a church near you that you can visit.
There are 34 countries that do not celebrate Christmas in the western way. Countries that do not celebrate Christmas include: Afghanistan. Algeria.
Mongolia. The overwhelmingly Buddhist nation of Mongolia does not observe any public holidays around Christmas, and few Christians live here. 1 January is a public holiday, but citizens also hold a three-day celebration for the Mongolian Lunar New Year, known as Tsagaan Sar, at the start of the first lunar month.
The Russian Orthodox Church, which claims sovereignty over Orthodoxy in Ukraine, and some other Eastern Orthodox churches continue to use the ancient Julian calendar. Christmas falls 13 days later on that calendar, or Jan. 7, than it does on the Gregorian calendar used by most church and secular groups.
Unlike the bloated, red-coated father Christmas of the West, Russia's Santa Claus, known as Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost), is slender with a wizard-like flowing beard and he wears a long robe that comes in different colors, such as blue and white.
Russian: Дед Мороз – Ded Moroz (lit.
It is believed that Ded Moroz (the Russian and interpretation of and name for Santa Claus) brings presents with the help of his granddaughter, Snegurka.
Philippines. The Philippines has one of the longest holiday seasons in the world, starting in September and ending around January 9. Christmas plays, parties, and decorations are in full swing throughout these months, and there are nine night Masses (known as Simbang Gabi) leading up to Christmas Day.
Christmas Day in Japan
The holiday season in Japan seems to be celebrated the exact opposite way as it is in western countries. In Japan, Christmas is the time for friends and couples to have parties, make plans to meet up for dinner and celebrate as much as they can.
New Zealand is the first country to see the sun on Christmas morning. According to the Greenwich Observatory, New Zealand's Balleny Islands are the first land to have sunrise each day. New Zealand is the first country on the western side of the International Date Line, the place where each day begins.
Aramaic is best known as the language Jesus spoke. It is a Semitic language originating in the middle Euphrates. In 800-600 BC it spread from there to Syria and Mesopotamia. The oldest preserved inscriptions are from this period and written in Old Aramaic.
Jesus' name in Hebrew was “Yeshua” which translates to English as Joshua. So how did we get the name “Jesus”? And is “Christ” a last name? Watch the episode to find out!
Of course, Jesus was a Jew. He was born of a Jewish mother, in Galilee, a Jewish part of the world. All of his friends, associates, colleagues, disciples, all of them were Jews. He regularly worshipped in Jewish communal worship, what we call synagogues.